1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of mounting systems for electronics housings (modules). In particular, embodiments of the present invention relate to an optional mounting system to facilitate mounting the electronics housing to pre-manufactured enclosures with varied hole pattern designs. More specifically, the process of attaching the housing using a camming feature allows the electronics housing to be securely attached and removed with the same methodology. Furthermore, the connector system distinguishes the system from current products within its product category as it can be easily removed from the electronics package so that the unit can mount to a variety of surfaces using conventional hardware.
2. The Relevant Technology
Signal management technology generally resides within a building and is typically installed on a wall, ceiling, or other similar surface. Signal management (SM) refers to the sending, receiving and manipulation of transmittable frequencies through wire-based systems. Specialized signal manipulation equipment such as splitters, diplexers, amplifiers and modulators requires a hub or organized panel to facilitate installation, serviceability and access. As with professional stereophonic equipment, signal management has specialized fixturing cabinets or sheet metal enclosures called “cans.” Modified slightly from manufacturer to manufacturer, they interface and organize products designed specifically to fit that enclosure design.
Typical enclosures are sheet metal fabrications of a singular punched and bent sheet of metal forming a rectangular, five-sided box. When formed, there is a back panel (also referred to as a “back plate”) perforated with a series of uniform punched holes, a top, bottom and two sides. A return flange completes the enclosure front, leaving an opening slightly smaller than the dimensions of the back panel. The enclosure width is determined by a standard set by the linear space roughly equal to the distance between two wall studs in a typical stud and sheetrock constructed wall. The depth of the enclosure relates specifically to the stud depth plus the thickness of the sheetrock. When installed, the sheet metal enclosure is mechanically fastened with screws to adjoining studs on both sides of the enclosure and the front return flange surface should lie just below flush from the drywall outer surface. The “can” defines a fixed, accessible space protected on five sides within the wall structure of a building. A door or access panel, flush with the exterior wall surface, completes the installation of the can.
Cable routing occurs through the building's wall and floor system. The “can” acts as the distribution hub or manifold from which raw electronic signals passing through wires from satellite dishes, exterior cable signal, TV antenna, and signal producing devices are manipulated and distributed throughout the building to signal output devices (i.e., stereo equipment, video displays, etc . . . ).
The hole pattern located on the back panel of the enclosure provides the means for quick and secure attachment of SM electronics housings. The enclosure hole pattern is standardized with four vertical rows of evenly spaced holes divided into two columns. The lateral (i.e., horizontal) distance between the centers of the typical 0.25″ diameter holes per column is standardized at 6.0″. The vertical distance between the hole centers is standardized at 0.50″ although one manufacturer offers a hole pattern at 1″ spacing on the left side, staggered 0.50″ from the 1″ vertically spaced holes on the right side of the column.
Most often, the general shape of the holes varies between manufacturers with features like slots punched additionally with each hole, or rectangular shapes taking the place of circular holes. Conventional SM electronics housings are designed specifically to fit a single hole pattern design, and more often than not, it is difficult to mount electronics housings of one manufacturer into an enclosure of another. For example, one electronics housing platform is constructed of sheet metal fitted with hooks along the top with an additional hook on the lower left side and with a snap feature at the lower right. To fit this housing into a competitor's can, the installer must use a pair of pliers to bend one of the metal hooks that interferes with a missing hole in the metal enclosure, a process that is not only time consuming but also reduces the intended strength of the mount. In another instance, an electronics housing that does not have features to fit a non-circular hole pattern design is a very loose fit when mounted to an enclosure with square holes. Moreover, attaching an electronics housing upside down (in some cases, this is preferred for better cable management) cannot be accomplished with the rectangular hole arrangement because fixed features on the housing are designed to interface with the enclosures only in an upright position.
Fixed hooks in conjunction with fixed push-button snaps are the primary means of attaching SM electronics packages to SM electronics enclosures. Horizontal and/or vertical hooks are employed to align with corresponding holes in the enclosure, pushed through to hang the package on horizontal surfaces provided by the hole features. The third or fourth point of contact (depending on the size, shape, and design of the existing housing) is the push-button snap. The push-button snap is a two-part, plastic assembly that is cylindrical in shape with a lead-in alignment feature to mate with its corresponding hole. Once the snap passes through the hole, the user presses operatively to wedge the outer portion, creating excess interference with the diameter of the hole on the sheet metal enclosure. The mounted housing can also be removed with some difficulty due to the size and subsequent forces needed to overcome the pre-tensioned wedge without plier tools using the grip of two fingers.
An additional problem with current electronics housings is that the fixed hook features found on existing SM electronics housings are often over-toleranced to compensate for the manufacturing methods used and therefore are loose and rely on a single cylindrical plastic snap to take up the tolerances and provide rigidity to the installed unit. Finally, many if not all of the existing enclosure-mountable electronics housings do not have readily apparent features to install the units outside of the can. Two conventional enclosures and their associated electronics housings are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,266,250 to Richard T. Faye, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,132,242 to Lawrence Alton Hall and William John Schnoor, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Therefore, there is a need for an electronics housing to give the installer the option to fasten the housing with equal ease to a generic surface or to a pre-manufactured enclosure. It would be beneficial if the locking portion of the enclosure mount system could be installer defined. In other words, by allowing the housing securing means to be moved from one side of the electronics housing to the other, the SM housing can either be placed right-side up or upside-down and keep the locking connector part on the optimum side for installation. Conversely, when a left hand installation on the right column of the can is necessary, a left-handed installer can complete the task easily and without discomfort by preferencing the lock feature on the left side of the housing. More importantly, if the connector pieces could interface with all existing SM enclosure systems with equal ease during installation and retain a consistent mechanical fit once installed, this would be ideal. By default, if individual connector pieces could be attached and removed from the electronics housing, newly designed connector pieces could be created for future, not-yet realized panel hole designs without expensive tooling and mold changes to the SM electronics housings.